The Attack
by Goingtharn
Summary: Vince lived like he was on top of the world, but today, he was pushed off.


Vince knew what it was like to see the rain fall. It was something he watched almost every time it happened. There was something bittersweet about watching the clouds smother the sky until it was nothing but a lifeless grey. In some ways, his eyes were like the sky. Some days, they were a lustrous blue, shining and taking in everything that they encompassed. Others, they were as if all the colour had been sucked out of them. Things weren't even black or white, they were always grey, and like the clouds, they could only stay grey for so long before the first droplets would begin to seep through and make their way to the ground.

He could describe to you in detail how the world seemed to seize up, as if to go tharn before it was about to fall apart. As only this morning he was sitting in a room, the only memorable colours being the brown of the desk against the white canvas of the walls. The brown of the desk, and the crimson blood that they'd pulled from his arms as if his body was keeping secrets from him and the only way to force it to tell, was to attack from the inside.

But with secrets come lies, lies to arguments and arguments to wars. The secrets he kept from his friends, the things that no one could know. He wouldn't have let them tell himself, had he known the pain of the truth. The lies he told to them, how everyday lies such as 'I'm fine' and 'it'll be alright', how they could become so much more, and so much worse. Especially when you know that you're not, that it won't and that it never will be. Arguments had become a daily occurrence, something he'd grown used to. The look of frustration from his best friend when he fell over for the third time that week and insisted that he was fine. And the war, the war going on inside his body. One he could do nothing about, that would eventually destroy him.

Vince wore bright clothes today. He always did. But especially today. He'd warn bright clothes to the hospital. The glitter on his clothes seemed to shine, as if to remind passersby of the sunshine that used to radiate from the wearer's being. How nothing could ever bring him down, how he could flash a grin, even when he was in the depths of hell, be it monkey hell. In the grimmest of times, he was optimistic. Until he'd gotten into that cursed room, where they'd run test after test and he'd done nothing but feel nauseous, sick and above all, frightened, which didn't help the other two. When he'd gotten the news, he got that feeling where his blood seemed to run cold and his ears began to burn, but he knew he had to be brave, as he couldn't let Howard know he was hurting. He couldn't let the one he loved know that he wouldn't be around forever. That their double act wouldn't die out together as they had lived.

It was still early morning when he was making his way back to the shop, he had to hang around Howard all day and act as if nothing was wrong. He got off the bus and began to make a slow walk back to the store. As he walked he began to think about what the flat would be like when he was gone. Howard would probably keep a picture of him on the hearth, however, he'd take it down after a while because it'd be too painful to look at after a long day of work. He couldn't bare the idea of breaking Howard's heart, he knew that he really did care about him, despite all the quips they'd throw back and forth on a daily basis. He rounded the corner and, taking a deep breath, which turned into a sigh, entered the shop, deliberately making no eye contact as he took of his coat and hung it up over one of the many items that adorned the shop, seeming never to be sold.

"C'mon then let's have it." a familiar a voice rang in his ears as his heart seemed to stop. He could feel himself getting nervous, but by now, was smart enough to know when to play innocent. "Mmm?" was all he could muster, he knew that he didn't have enough time to think of a decent response, so, he decided he'd let Howard do that talking. "Everyday you're late and everyday it's another crazy excuse, what is it this time?" the other male asked, leaning against the counter, one hand on hip looking rather miffed at having to spend another morning opening the shop by himself. "I just had a few things to do, that's all." he whimpered, again keeping it brief as he was forced to sit down due to the fact that the world was deciding to try to knock him down by spinning irregularly. He put his hand to his head and knew there was no escaping this one.


End file.
